Congressional Newsletters

RAND Congressional newsletters and alerts highlight our research on the most relevant issues in the public policy debate. See the most recent issues below.

Military Strategy
What Military Capabilities are Most Needed to Counter China and Russia?
Jul 26, 2022

A new RAND paper based on a deep bench of research identifies initiatives available to the Department of Defense in the near to middle term that analysis suggests can bolster the ability of the United States and its allied and partner forces to deter and defend against aggression by China and Russia.
Geopolitical Strategic Competition
The Societal Foundations of National Competitiveness
Jul 20, 2022

What characteristics of a nation or society contribute to competitive advantage? A new RAND report, through analysis of comparative studies of historical eras and trends, historical case studies, and the findings of issue-specific empirical research, seeks to answer that question.
Geopolitical Strategic Competition
What Would Happen If China 'Quarantines' Taiwan?
Jun 29, 2022

China recently asserted that the Taiwan Strait is not an international waterway, a claim that the United States government has rejected. What would happen if China were to take further coercive action against Taiwan and implement a quarantine?
Education Policy
RAND Education Resources
Jun 23, 2022

A roundup of RAND's recent education research features results from a survey on the well-being of U.S. teachers and principals. It also includes insights on pathways to the middle class, improving principal preparation programs, and high-quality instructional materials.
Security Cooperation
What Is the Likelihood of U.S. Allies Hosting Intermediate-Range Missiles?
May 26, 2022

The demise of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty opened an opportunity for the United States to develop and deploy ground-based intermediate-range missiles (GBIRMs). The Indo-Pacific has been considered a potential location for these missiles, but how U.S. allies will respond to overtures to host GBIRMs is not clear.
Health Care Costs
Prices Paid to Hospitals by Private Health Plans
May 25, 2022

A new RAND report shows that prices paid to hospitals during 2020 by employers and private insurers for both inpatient and outpatient services averaged 224 percent of what Medicare would have paid, with wide variation in prices among states.
Global Climate Change
Observed Impacts, Risks, and Adaptation Solutions to Climate Change
May 3, 2022

The impacts of climate change have arrived and are widespread, pervasive, and in some cases irreversible. Robert Lempert describes where climate adaptation efforts are falling short and provided guidance on how adaptation might become more effective.
China
Countering China's Gray Zone Coercion
Apr 29, 2022

Gray zone tactics are widely recognized as playing an increasingly important role in China’s efforts to advance its domestic, economic, foreign policy, and security objectives. But there is little consensus on which tactics pose the greatest challenges to the United States and its allies and partners.
China
Assessing China’s Defense Industrial Base
Apr 13, 2022

A new RAND report presents an assessment of the systemic strengths and vulnerabilities of China’s defense industrial base , and it was conducted to meet a congressional requirement from the Fiscal Year 2021 National Defense Authorization Act.
Ukraine
Responding to Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine While Mitigating Escalation
Mar 25, 2022

Russia has launched an unprecedented act of aggression against Ukraine. The United States and its allies must and can respond forcefully. But as they do, they should take into account the possibility of triggering a spiral of escalation that could lead to the only outcome worse than the invasion of Ukraine itself.
United States Department of Defense
Improving Department of Defense Civilian Casualty Policies
Feb 25, 2022

A recently published RAND study on the Department of Defense’s civilian casualty procedures found that while DoD has created policies that reflect a strong commitment to comply with the law of war and mitigate civilian harm, there are considerable weaknesses in key areas in the process with gaps in resourcing and inconsistencies across theaters of operation.
Nuclear Deterrence
Modernizing the U.S. Nuclear Triad
Feb 11, 2022

A new RAND paper describes the choices that have shaped the U.S. nuclear force posture in the past, the major questions and disagreements informing the current debate over nuclear modernization, and the significance of the decisions that will be made over the next several months.
United States Department of Defense
Keeping the Defense Industrial Base Afloat During COVID-19
Jan 28, 2022

In a new exploratory analysis of Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) data, RAND researchers summarize investments in Defense Industrial Base businesses that received assistance during the early months of the pandemic.
Homeland Security
Homeland Security: The Online Extremist Ecosystem, Equity in Disaster Preparation, Arctic Governance, and More
Jan 20, 2022

RAND experts have testified and answered questions for staff on a variety of homeland security topics, including the federal response to domestic extremism, the role of the Coast Guard in the Arctic, and equity in disaster preparedness and response.
Russia
How Have Sanctions Impacted Russian Arms Sales?
Dec 16, 2021

New RAND research that examines Russian arms exports and the impact of sanctions found that U.S. diplomatic efforts buttressed by the prospect of third-party sanctions have had a "chilling effect" on countries considering Russian advanced conventional weapons.
Military Veterans
Better Aligning Housing Options with Veteran Preferences Could Help Alleviate Homelessness
Dec 16, 2021

Veteran homelessness in Los Angeles is a pervasive public health problem, with the county having the highest concentration of veterans experiencing homelessness in the United States. A new report describes a first-of-its-kind longitudinal study that followed 26 veterans experiencing homelessness in West Los Angeles.
Supply Chain Management
Considering Supply Chain Resiliency
Dec 9, 2021

In a recent hearing, Caolionn O'Connell discussed the role of the public and private sector and critical steps needed to improve supply chain resiliency.
How Does the China-Russia Relationship Affect U.S. Interests?
Nov 30, 2021

A new RAND report examines the history of China-Russia cooperation, explores how Sino-Russian relations might evolve in the future, and outlines the potential implications for U.S. national security.
Affordable Care Act
How Do Partisan Differences Affect ACA Marketplace Participation and Subsidy Use?
Nov 1, 2021

As the 2022 Open Enrollment Period opens, a recent study examines how political affiliation may affect decisions to enroll through the Affordable Care Act Marketplaces and receive subsidies.
Military Strategy
Anticipating Adversary Military Interventions
Oct 28, 2021

New RAND research explores where, how, and how often U.S. adversaries (specifically, Russia, China, and Iran) have intervened militarily since 1946 and identifies why these adversaries have initiated military interventions and why they might do so in the future.
North Korea
How Does North Korea Evade Sanctions?
Oct 21, 2021

New RAND research provides a detailed analysis of four North Korean sanctions evasion techniques and examines the various entities involved in these activities.
Veterans Health Care
Suicide Prevention for U.S. Veterans
Oct 12, 2021

What role can research and public health efforts play in suicide prevention among U.S. veterans? Rajeev Ramchand outlines four strategies that are critical for preventing veteran suicides.
Russia
Understanding and Defending Against Russia's Malign and Subversive Information Efforts in Europe
Sep 29, 2021

The authors of a new RAND report describe apparent efforts conducted by Russia and its agents involving the use of information to shape Russia's operating environment, focusing on the European context, and draw from existing practice to describe possible defensive approaches.
What Can Be Done to Help Global Refugees Return Home?
Sep 15, 2021

Refugees make up roughly 30 million of the over 80 million people displaced globally. The authors of a new RAND report examine barriers to, and facilitators of, the safe and sustained return of refugees.
Health Care Costs
International Reference Pricing Would Have Saved the U.S. $83.5 Billion in 2020
Sep 13, 2021

A new study from researchers at the RAND Corporation estimated potential savings on U.S. drug spending under these conditions and found that implementing international reference pricing along the lines of H.R. 3 would have lowered U.S. spending on certain prescription drugs by 52.3 percent, or $83.5 billion, in 2020.